Books

Thailand: Das Kochbuch

Although dominated by rice, Thai cuisine is full of flavourful surprises. Above all, it is the most diverse pastes and sauces that bring the dishes and not least the palate to life. The nuances range from ripe pineapple sweetness to fiery chili heat. And so it is advisable to gradually taste ahead to see what is digestible and what might upset the European stomach. 

The spices are both exotic and well-known. They have names like bird's eye chili, tamarind, jaggery, spring onion, coriander and lime. In their not particularly difficult combinations, they are often flavour-building and indispensable.

When it comes to side dishes, freshness is the watchword. Market-fresh vegetables, (at best) freshly caught seafood and fish and, less frequently, meat from beef and pork should be processed as quickly as possible to maintain quality and freshness. The preparation itself then takes place in separate pots and pans, so that the individual components often only come together again on the plate, in the bowl and finally in the mouth. The result? Taste revelations of every kind!

These kitchen dreams can only be experienced authentically in Thailand. Nevertheless, with "Thailand: The Cookbook" Jean-Pierre Gabriel and his 526 contributing chefs succeed in bringing Thai cuisine closer to us in an unbelievably diverse and simple way. And the diverse smorgasbord of recipes is proof that also rice can be surprisingly explosive in flavour.

At Home, as long as we have eyes to be amazed. | Cookbook by Jean-Pierre Gabriel. | All words and photos by The Sturgheons.